The French Fantasy Treasury (Volume 2)

The French Fantasy Treasury serves as an introduction to French fantasy, which has a long and noble history, quite distinct from its British and American counterparts. Its three volumes chronicle the history of the genre, from its origins through modern times, and include stories, excerpts and novellas by some of the most prestigious authors in French literature.A must for fantasy lovers everywhere.This second volume explores how new forms of fantasy emerged from the gothic novels and romanticism of the 19th century, reshaping old myths and revisiting ancient legends of the French countryside, before evolving into the opulent and seductive visions of the Symbolists of the fin de siècle. Can the old beggar woman fed from the crumbs of children's lunches really be the beautiful Queen of Sheba? Was Merlin a creature of the King of Hell and did he ever rise against his father? In these pages, we visit the Kingdom of the Dwarves and the Ashen Tower; we meet the Last Fay and the Lady of the Seven Mirrors; we share in the mournful tales of Anne of the Iles and the Lady of the Cold Kisses.